Brotherhood Eternal
by Nomi001
Summary: A short series of shorts.
1. Do Angels Sleep

**Just a short series of shorts. It was originally written meant for a birthday gift for a Joe-ette, but didn't quite work out. But I could not bear to junk it either. Hope someone will enjoy it - Nomi.**

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BROTHERHOOD ETERNAL

Do Angels Sleep

**-o-**

_Do angels sleep? _

That was one question Joe remembered asking his big brother as a little six year old boy.

'Of course,' big brother Frankie told him. 'Even angels have to sleep, like us.'

'Is that why I fell off the tree and hurt my knee?' He continued questioning his big brother. 'Because my personal guardian angel was sleeping, and was not looking out for me?'

Big brother Frankie looked stunned for the briefest moment before answering. 'No Joey… you fell off the tree because you are careless. Guardian Angels protect you from the big bad guys, not from little silly or careless mistakes…'

'Why not?' he asked again.

'Because we need to learn from our mistakes and become better persons for God,' big brother Frankie said. 'And if they help us all the time, we will never learn.'

Joe could not help but smile at that memory. A soft warm glow slowly suffused his being. His beloved big brother; one could always count on Frank to come up with a good answer no matter what.

_And memories were all that he had left of his big brother now_, Joe sighed. That soft exhalation of breath was soft, but the breath was heavy, and the whispers of that sigh echoed loudly around him.

_For all eternity…_


	2. Do Angels Love

**Miss Fenway, Penguincrazy, Chromde, and CherryBlossomSandy. Thanks very much for enjoying this. I am glad I did not junk it after all. Thanks again, Nomi.**

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BROTHERHOOD ETERNAL

Do Angels Love

**-o-**

Nicholas Cage in the movie, City of Angels, chose to be one of the fallen because he realized that angels could not feel emotions or sensations. But Joe now knew for a fact that Cage was wrong. Angels do feel.

They felt the wind brushing against their faces as they flew from the skies down to Earth to take care of their charges. They felt joy whenever their charges were happy. They felt pain when they sustained injuries battling demons. Their angelic hearts hurt whenever one of their charges was lost to Heaven.

Joe knew, because he was currently enjoying the sensation of free-falling as he made his way down to Earth to watch over his charge. At the very last moment, he unfurled his wings, breaking his fall and landing lightly on the red tiled roof of a two storey home at the corner of Elm and High Street.

His eyes stung as more memories surfaced; as they did every single day he landed on Earth to start his long day of doing God's work.

_But do Angels love? _

'Yes they do,' seven year old Frankie answered confidently.

'But the Sunday school teacher said angels are made to serve Man, they do not have man's capacity to love because they do not have a soul,' little Joey told his big brother. 'Teachers can't be wrong, can they?'

'Do you believe that God is perfect?' Frankie asked. 'That God is perfect in his love for all his creations?'

Little Joey nodded his head earnestly.

'If God is perfect in his love for all creations, then He will not make one creation lesser than another. If Man has the capacity to love, so do Angels. All of God's creations have the capacity to love. And Angels do love, that is why they take such good care of us, because they love us,' Frankie answered ever so logically.

'So the teacher is wrong then?' Little Joey eyes lit up as he waited for his Big Brother to reassure him that angels do love.

He had always wanted to be an Angel with white wings flying around doing God's works and fighting off the big bad demons. But he did not want to become an Angel if it means that he could no longer love his brother and mother and father.

'If God is perfect, then He is always right. If God is always right, then the teacher must be wrong,' Frankie confirmed with all the God-given authority of being Big Brother.

Little Joey was happy again. His dreams of becoming one of God's angel was still intact.

_And Angels do love... _

'God's chosen Angels would sacrificed the very essence of their existence for their charges,' Arch-Angel Joe acknowledged with bitter-sweet joy, that he achieved his childhood dream after-all.


	3. The Hardest Work

_**Thanks Josie, franknjoe, chromde and Penguincrazy :) Glad you enjoyed this. Here is the third part. Two more to go. As I said, this is short. **_

_**Please enjoy, Nomi**  
_

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BROTHERHOOD ETERNAL

The Hardest Work

**-o-**

Angels do the hardest work, Joe was told before he was given his wings.

He supposed he could see why that was so. Angels spent all their time watching over their charges. It could get very, very, boring. And very, very, boring work was very, very, hard to do well. More than one Angel was caught dozing off on the job more than once just because their charge was so routinely… boring.

The standing joke in the Angelic Realm after he was appointed as Frank's Guardian Angel was: God recalled one particular human to Heaven before his time because too many angels were fighting for the dubious honor of being his Guardian Angel. Every angel knew that there was not a single boring moment in one Joseph Hardy's life, or so his mentor Arch-Angel Gabriel claimed.

Arch-Angel Joe supposed someone had to keep those hardworking but bored angels entertained at least some of the time.

At least Frank Hardy was not doing too bad a job at that, Arch-Angel Joe acknowledged gratefully as he perused the cozy scene before him from his earthly mother's favorite armchair.

A very human Frank was playing his usual morning get-my-kid-to-eat-some-healthy-fruits-and-vegetables-game with his two kids Jared and Jade.

"I won! I won today, I won!" an excited Jared squeaked enthusiastically. "No more veggies today!"

"And you got to eat Jared's broccoli now, Daddy!" Jade crowed.

Callie glared at her husband.

And Frank had this absolutely stunned expression on his face.

Arch-Angel Joe laughed. Unlike Frank, he saw that wonderful cooperation between the siblings that allowed Jared to know his father's move. They planned to try again in a few days' time, and this time, it would be Jade's turn to win. _Smart kids, but poor Jade. Frank was not the type to fall for the same trick twice_, Joe thought.

A short while later, Arch-Angel Joe watched Frank gave his beloved wife a goodbye kiss before heading to his car and driving off to work. And like he did every day, Joe settled his invisible self in the passenger seat of his brother's car and tagged along for the safe but boring drive.

But something was different today. Joe's angel-sharp senses went on full alert. Demons… the demons were gathering. He could feel death in the air; a lot of deaths. Images flashed and he saw.

Suddenly, Arch-Angel knew why they said that Angels do the hardest work.

Every Angel loved their charges. All Angels would willingly sacrifice themselves for their charges' souls. And every Angel had to watch their charge die knowing that there was nothing they could do about it – because that is God's Will. The next moments were the hardest Joe ever remembered; it dragged on and on as if forever.

_**5 – The traffic light turned red.**_

His heart missed a beat; _Frank's not going to make it._

_**4 – Frank's car slowed to a stop right before the train tracks.**_

_Frank's time on Earth has come to an end_, his Lord confirmed

_**3 – The train rumbled passed with its many cars of cargoes.**_

_But Frank's still young! _Arch-Angel Joe could not help but to protest.

_**2 – A little timer in one of the cargo cars counted down to zero.**_

_Have Faith young Angel..._ God Saith.

_**1 – A little ball bearing fell into place, completing the circuit.**_

_I do, I do…. _Joe cried, but his eyes burned and his heart hurts.

_**0 – An explosion ripped through the skies, the red hot flames rushed outwards and upwards in all directions, feeding on the abundance of gasoline and oxygen…**_

Red hot flames filled his teary vision.


	4. When Angels Die

_**Thanks Josie, Tifa, Penguincrazy, Franknjoe, and Miss Fenway. Glad you enjoyed it. Sorry this was a little slow. Both me and my kid were sick. Hope this chapter is just as enjoyable. This is the only serious chapter :) Miss Fenway, thanks for the nice humor, it really brightned up my gloomy day - I think the standard rule here is to use CAPs and Exclamation marks to denote enthusiatic desperation.**_

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BROTHERHOOD ETERNAL

When Angels Die

**-o-**

Within a fraction of a minute, only the red-hot twisted metal frames of cars and carriages was left from the epicenter of the explosion and its immediate surroundings. And close to a hundred lost souls who were so cruelly ripped from their physical bodies those souls had absolutely no idea what happened.

The demons charged through the black and greasy smoke, eager to get their hands on the still confused and vulnerable souls. The guardian angels rose to their charges' defense. Blackened pitchforks clashed against golden halos. And while the angels fought, more demons sneaked in hoping to steal a soul or two might have been forgotten in the heat of the battle.

Arch Angel Joe lashed down hard with his golden halo. Two black pitchforks were neatly sliced in two; two wide-eyed demons turn tail and ran. Another flap of his white wings and he landed in-between Frank's soul and another demon. By then, the short but furious battle was all but over. The little demon, seeing that his brethren had all left, could not back away from Frank quickly enough.

"Joe…?"

Frank Hardy blinked at the incongruous sight of his long dead brother standing, no levitating just ten feet away from him. He shook his head furiously. That was definitely Joe – dressed in a glowing white bodysuit and sporting two huge luminescent white wings. Frank laughed. Joe wouldn't be caught dead in something like that. If it wasn't Halloween and he wasn't dreaming, then he would have to be dead…

Something clicked at the back of his mind. His eyes snapped towards where he last saw that white-clothed-Joe-with-wings. He swiveled around and took in the hazy scene of destruction all around him.

_Dead…_

"I am dead, aren't I?" Frank asked; his eyes remained on what was left of his barely identifiable car. "I died."

"Yes." Arch Angel Joe confirmed, his blue eyes reflecting the sadness and regrets he felt. "Your time on Earth is done, Frank, as in accordance to God's Will."

He could not help Frank this time. He was honestly tempted to. But in doing so, he would be going against God's Will. He could sacrifice himself to extend Frank's earthly life. But Frank would no longer have a Guardian Angel. His brother's soul would be at risk. He could not do that.

"What about Callie and Jared and Jade…"

Joe could hear the pain and the sadness there. Callie would have to struggle as a single mother to provide for Jared and Jade. It was Arch Angel Joe that answered in a gentle and compassionate tone. "Have faith that the Lord will provide, Frank."

He stood by patiently to let his brother grieve for a moment more before extending a hand. "Its time to go, Frank…"

"It is you, isn't it? Joe?" Frank suddenly asked as he watched all those other souls around him slowly rising up into the sky.

Joe let go of his Angelic Persona. "Yes…"

Suddenly, he could not hold back any longer. He enfolded his brother in a tight embrace and cried fiercely. "You've no idea how much I missed you, even though I got to see you every single day for the last five years as your guardian angel. I'm sorry I was so selfish; I've been looking forward to this day… so I could really be with you again…"

_If only for a short while…_ Joe's heart bled at that cold hard reality, but he would treasure the moment.

"And I'm sorry too. I'm sorry I could not get to you on time, Joe. I'm so sorry…"

"There was nothing you can do back then, Frank," Joe admonished. "That was my time…"

They hugged and cried and laughed and floated up towards the heavens. They chatted and exchanged stories just as if they were back again with each other at the end of each college semester. All too soon, they arrived at the Pearly Gates guarded by Arch Angel Peter.

"This is where we must part ways, brother," Joe announced regretfully. "Mom and Dad would be waiting for you on the other side…"

"Aren't you coming with me?" Frank asked surprised.

Joe shook his head regretfully. "I can't Frank. I am an Angel and there is work for me to do over here."

"How…"

Joe knew what Frank wanted to ask, so he cut in. "Angels are chosen."

That was true, but it was an incomplete answer. Frank did not have to know that. What he wanted was for Frank to cross over to the other side, and be forever safe. But to pacify Frank, he added, "And we will meet again after Judgment Day, when Heaven and Earth becomes one."

_That would be an eternity later,_ Joe muttered quietly to himself. _If I live that long…_

Frank looked dubious. "So why are you chosen?"

Stubborn Frank! Joe groused amusedly. "To be your guardian angel."

"So why can't I be Callie's or Jared's or Jade's guardian angel?!"

"Because they are already assigned their guardian angels, Frank. You can't just take over someone else's job," Joe explained.

"So how did you become my guardian angel?"

"Your previous guardian angel died." Peter answered as he reached out for Frank. "It is time for you to cross over, Frank."

Joe cringed inwardly twice over. One because Frank would cross over soon and he would now be truly alone. And two because of the truth as to why he was recalled to heaven to take up the position as Frank's guardian angel. None of the other angels wanted it. Ten angels were killed on duty in that position. Joe took it up because he loved his brother, and he had several close shaves with the higher order demons.

"Wait!" Frank cried out almost desperately. "What happened when angels die?"

How astute of Frank, Joe thought. He ignored that question.

"Tell Mom and Dad I love them for me!" he told Frank before turning around and walking resolutely away.

Joe did it before Frank could see his tears. He did it while he still had the strength to walk away.

When man dies, he left his body behind and his soul ascended to heaven or gets redirected to purgatory, or fall into hell. He may, if given the choice, choose to forsake his ticket to cross over to Eden and become an angel. That is what an angel is; a pure soul, a good soul. And when an angel dies, the soul dissipates totally. That soul ceases to exist for all eternity.

That is one fact Frank need never know.


	5. When Angels Hurt

**_Josie, Tifa, franknjoe,Miss Fenway and Penguincrazy, thanks again for your generosity in leaving behind such wonderful comments and for enjoying this piece. I know this piece is a little unusual in that there is no mystery, and I practically killed off the entire Hardy household short of Gertrude. Thanks again for enjoying it. There is sadly, only one more chapter to go. I guess you know I do sort of like this piece since I could not bear to junk it despite the fact it did not turn out as I intended. Hope you like this chapter too._**

**_Thanks again, Nomi._**

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BROTHERHOOD ETERNAL

When Angels Hurt

**-o-**

"_When angels hurt, there is an aura of sadness around them," Mama Laura was telling him and Frank. "Therefore, if you suddenly feel sad for no good reason, you know that there is a hurt angel feeling sad somewhere near you. Then you must do your best to think happy thoughts and feel happy, so that the sad angel can feel your joy and be happy again."_

That was one story his Mom used to tell when he was six, Joe recalled through tears laden lashes. Now he knew that his mother was right. Being around happy people when he felt sad did make him feel better.

But this time, his pain was so deep, and his loneliness so sharp, his presence amongst humans would cause those within a hundred feet of him to fall into depression. He could not do that to anyone, not even his earthly enemies.

'Frank and Mom and Dad are together again,' Joe kept reminding himself as he tried to smile. 'It is worth everything you've gone through and will be going through…'

But that knowledge could not take away his hurts.

'And Frank's soul is now safe for all eternity.'

And that knowledge could not ease his loneliness.

All around him, heavy storm clouds gather to match the weight of his sorrows. Arch Angel Joe unfurled his wings and flew. The storm clouds followed, drawn by the depth of his sorrows. He pushed himself to the limit, tiring himself out as he worked to exorcise his hurts. More importantly, he was an angel. Something good must came out of his every action, even when angels hurt.

Soon he arrived on the dried and deserted plains of the Kilimanjaro. Above him, the dark and stormy clouds roiled and churned. And there alone without a single other being, human or angel in sight, Joe roared the agony of his future loneliness to the skies. Thunder rumbled across the deserted plains. A minute later, torrents of rain fell upon the parched and dying earth.

'…_and that is why you should never be afraid when you hear thunder that was not preceded by lightning,' Daddy Fenton wrapped up his bedtime story to his two bright and inquisitive sons one stormy night. 'Because that was just the roar of an angry angel protecting his charge.'_

'_Uh Dad… that's a lightning! Does that mean that we should be worried?' five year old Joey asked while Frankie stifled a laugh and waited eagerly for Daddy's answer._

'_Of course not!' Fenton looked flabbergasted. 'The lightning was caused by the clash of a demon's pitchfork and an angel's sword. But the angels always win, and therefore you should never be afraid regardless of whether lightning preceded the thunder…'_

"It is God who always wins; an angel can lose, and an angel can die…" Arch Angel Joe acknowledged sadly.

The rare torrential rains seeped deep into the ground, nourishing the dried seeds that had waited the last twenty years for this much needed water of life. Deep within the heart of each sleeping seed, a spark of life was reignited. That burst of joyous living floated upwards, permeating the earth and lighten the heart of all it touched, including the heart of one sad and lonely Arch Angel.

Joe breathed in the scent of the fresh moist earth.

_We're alive again_, those seeds whispered happily to him. _Thank you!_

_And soon my dried channels will once again be filled with the nourishing water of life…_ the old river said in a gruff tone. _I will live again…_

Who could resist the joys of living?

And so Arch Angel Joe stood there in the midst of that once dead plains that would soon live again, letting the cheerful chatty voices of nature washed away the weight of his sorrows. He stood there for a long, long time.

The next morning, Arch Angel Joe had to drag his weary body out of bed. Angels do have hangovers too, and he did over exert himself yesterday, both physically and emotionally. After a quick breakfast, he made his way to Arch Angel Uriel for his new assignment. He wondered who he would be assigned to this time; whoever that was, he would guard him or her with the same fervor he guarded Frank.

Arch Angel Uriel's office was full today.

A new batch of trainee angels have arrived, Joe realized. He smiled as he watched those angels struggling with their wings. It brought back memories of his first day as an angel. Arch Angel Gabriel had always insisted that he was a natural with wings.

Suddenly, a familiar figure in the corner caught his eye.

No, it could not be… could it? But Frank was not among the chosen! He knew; he checked and he…

Joe felt that sense of immense relief that flowed through his brother the moment Frank spotted him.

"Thank God you're here! I really, really could use some help and advice on how to untangle these two unwieldy wings…"

He was still standing there with disbelief in his eyes as Frank tripped over his own wings and landed in an ungraceful heap at his feet.


	6. Do Angels Have Brothers

_Sorry, I forgot all about this one, being sick and all that. This chapter always bothered me because it never felt right. I finally figured out - every chapter had only one theme, this last chapter I had two. So I split the chapter and pad it up a little. Next one will be the last chapter - its done. Will post it once I finish editing one last time. Too sick to do so now... Please enjoy._

_--oo--oo--oo--  
_

BROTHERHOOD ETERNAL

Do Angels Have Brothers

**-o-**

_Do Angels have brothers and sisters?_

_It was a strange time for that question to pop into his angelic head_, Joe acknowledged as he slowly and steadily backed away from Frank, his beloved earthly brother.

"Stay where you are…" Arch Angel Joe warned in a most desperate tone when Frank started to make another attempt to move towards him.

He winced at the hurt in Frank's eyes… Joe opened his mouth, but never got the chance to explain, because Arch Angel Uriel chose to interrupt at that most importunate moment.

"Hey Joe, I see you're here early for your next assignment…" Arch Angel Uriel called out as he approached.

"Step back!"

Arch Angel Joe squeaked that warning a little too late. Frank moved instinctively and…

WHACK!

Arch Angel Uriel got broad-sided by Frank's clearly not-in-control angel-wings.

THUD!

The poor Arch Angel hit the ceiling hard.

THUMP!

Hel landed on the ground not too far away.

"I just delivered Frank to Saint Peter at the Pearly gates yesterday afternoon…" Arch Angel Joe explained lamely as two trainee angels quickly moved in to drag a stunned Arch Angel Uriel to safety.

Frank did not have his fortnight at the Angel Academy learning how to control his wings. It did take a bit of getting use to, learning to control six limbs instead of four. And angel-wings are… due to a lack of earthly descriptive word – special. Joe did not have his fortnight at the Academy either. But then, his was a special case.

Frank, his poor, poor brother was looking totally bewildered and his face was as red as beetroot, which was something that one rarely sees on his cool-headed and disciplined earthly big brother.

"Who gave him his wings?!" Arch Angel Uriel roared loud and furious, which was a mistake.

Frank flinched naturally, his wings flapped instinctively but dangerously in response, the force from the wings propelled his poor brother forward, who landed flat on his face. All the trainee angels scrambled swiftly to safety, some barely avoiding the flailing wings. The neat and orderly assignment office was now in a mess rarely seen in its eternity of smooth operation.

There was a muffled laugh. Two pairs of eyes turned angrily to the source.

"Gabri-el…" Arch Angel Uriel growled, deliberately invoking the ancient form of the Name, which was an indication of how mad he was.

"Aren't you going to help your beloved brother, Joe?" Gabri-el asked in good humor, ignoring his furious brother.

Joe barely eluded those wildly flapping wings as he tried to reach Frank, which Joe knew from experience, was a sign of growing emotional stress with serious repercussions where angel-wings were concerned. Frank had an aversion to not being in full control of his own faculties, and that is adding to the psychological impact. And add to that the fact that Frank really just 'died' yesterday…

"What happened to the 'all angels are brothers and sisters' talk and looking out for your little brothers…" Joe retorted angrily before turning his full attention back to his brother. "Frank, listen… I need you to calm down… take a deep breath big brother…"

"We need to get those wings off Frank," Arch Angel Uriel declared worriedly as he saw what Joe saw - the feedback effect from the wings to Frank was going to have an adverse psychological impact on the new-born angel.

"Why don't you try, brother?" Joe snapped sarcastically and furiously at Gabri-el. "Frank Hardy may be an intellectual, but he is also a darn good martial pugilist. Do you know what that translates into where the instinctive survival defensive reactions of his angel-wings are concerned?!"

Even Gabri-el was worried now. He had totally forgotten that aspect when he decided to play this little joke on his former charge. Furthermore, Angel-wings are not designed to be easily removed by a third party without putting up a darn good fight for good reason. And he could see that Frank was really getting distressed. Who wouldn't, with a pair of uncontrollable wings threatening destruction wherever you turn? Gabriel gulped. Joe was going to be real mad at him…

Then Joe made the successful tackle and managed to wrestle Frank and the wings to the ground. Arch Angel Gabriel quickly leapt for the wings before it could turn on Joe. The wings tried to throw him off but he managed to hang on to one. Then Uriel got hold of the other wing, and between the three of them, they got the wings off. It took Gabriel and Uriel another five minutes to subdue those wings which had clearly learned much from its new host.

"Frank's going to make one formidable angel," Arch Angel Gabriel whistled with respect.

No one refuted that as all eyes turned to the two brothers in the center of the room. The bond between the two was almost palpable; it elicits a certain sense of awe.

So, do angels have brothers and sisters? All angels are brothers and sisters, as the popular saying go.

But as Joe gently soothed his angel-shocked brother and slowly healed the sore red back where the wings were forcefully ripped off, he acknowledged honestly that while all angels were his brothers and sisters, Frank would always be _the_ brother to him.


	7. Brothers and Partners Forever

I would have posted this last night if not for the fact I was puking all night in the bathroom. Going to TKO now.

**_Franknjoe: sorry, I understand feeling irate by short chapters, one of my pet peeves too. But this one is meant to be a series of shorts. Josie and Penguincrazy, thanks. This is the LAST chapter. Please enjoy._**

--00--00--00--

BROTHERHOOD ETERNAL

Brothers and Partners Forever

**-o-**

Perched atop a fluffy white alto-Columbus cloud after an arduous training session, Joe finally asked Frank the question that had been eating at him for the last five days.

"You never told me how you managed to get yourself appointed an angel? You weren't on the list. I know, because I checked. Many times," Joe admitted.

"You didn't want me to be on the list," Frank carefully folded his wings before correcting his brother. "I understand; bro. An angel's death is final. I wouldn't want that for you either…"

Joe turned a shade redder. "I…"

"My name was not on the list, because you did not want it," Frank interrupted and continued. "God grant your desires by taking me off the list because of your sacrifice… for me."

Frank's voice was almost accusing. Joe sighed; so his brother knew. He had not prepared himself for his confrontation because he had not expected to have to face Frank again. Unlike most normal people, he was given the choice where he wanted to live or die. And he chose to die in his twenty-fourth year, leaving his earthly body behind to become Frank's personal guardian angel.

"I did what I had to, Frank. You needed a guardian angel back then. And I am not sorry for making that choice," Joe asserted firmly.

It was true; he had no regrets for dying young for the sake of his brother's immortal soul.

"And you need me now," Frank countered. "I felt your loneliness and agony as I was crossing over. Put up such a big argument with Saint Peter that he re-negotiated with God for me. The deal was; I can become an angel if you accept the responsibility of becoming my mentor. That was why I was so desperate to talk to you. I was preparing to argue my case before you could send me back, which I was almost certain you would because I would have done the same thing…"

At least Frank was honest about that, Joe thought gratefully. But big brother, as far as he knew, was always fair.

"So sorry, Frank," Joe answered a little sheepishly as he recalled how desperate Frank looked when he kept backing away. "But I was downright terrified of your wings…"

Both brothers laughed at the memory of that fateful morning in the Assignment office. _Trouble-magnet on Earth and trouble-makers in Heaven_, was what Arch Angel Uriel was muttering when he shooed them both out of his totally destroyed office. But as long as they were together, who cares what others thought of them?

"Do you remember the promise we made each other in our little fortress?" Frank asked Joe.

"Of course," Joe answered. "Brothers, best friends, and partners forever…"

Frank said softly. "And forever means forever, little brother. Even after death…"

"Yea…" Joe finally responded a long while later. "I understand that now. Thanks… forgive me?"

They smiled at each other. Then Frank gave Joe a friendly whack on the head.

"Forgiven… BUT… Don't you ever try to leave me behind again, Joe," he warned. "For _any_ reason…"

"I won't," Joe promised.

Frank accepted that promise and both settled back comfortably into the soft fluffy clouds.

"Joe?"

"Yes Frank?"

"So why was the Devil after me?" Frank still had a hard time accepting the fact that ten angels died for him.

"No one told you?"

Joe was surprised when Frank shook his head. That was hardly a heavenly secret. Then Joe's eyes softened.

"The truth is a little convoluted. But in a nutshell: Joseph Hardy was to touch the life of one Vanessa Bender. His wild ideas and principles influence her perception and eventually her works. Her Art would eventually spark a revolution that would change the world. And Joseph's principles were shaped to a large extent by the example and standards set by his very special big brother. Vanessa is too core to God's Master Plan for the Devil to intervene directly, and me because of my direct association with her. But you are an indirect link, and that makes you prime target for demonic interference… The guardian angels merely made sure that the demons never influence you unfairly, that you were always able to execute every action of your own Free Will. After Joseph's work was done – remember Vanessa's first Art Exhibition? The Devil was furious and wanted your immortal soul as recompense for his failure. That was when I was recalled…"

"… for the job that no angel wanted," Frank completed that sentence for him. "Oh my God, if you get killed…"

"I didn't, Frank. Arch Angel Gabriel mentored me," Joe stated firmly. "God gave me what I needed to do my job properly. Including the Dual Halos I used in some of the tougher battles, but one of them is now yours…"

"I wonder what happened to Arch Angel Gabriel?" Frank suddenly wondered.

"He has been most suitably chastised by God and currently doing his penance helping the poor in Africa," Arch Angel Mikael, the commander of God's Heavenly Army, answered as he landed on the cloud next to the brothers. "I've been looking for the two of you the whole morning. I've got your next assignment… direct from God… and you will be happy to know that you will be working together as partners…"

The brothers were both surprised and curious. Joe, being the senior angel, took the missive and read it.

"God wants us to find his missing Son?!" Joe spluttered incredulously.

"Yes. And you better get down to work because we're running out of time."

"Running out of time?" Frank was equally shocked at the absurdity of his first angelic assignment.

"Yes. God needs his Son for Judgment Day and the Second Coming. Earth has been waiting for two millenniums now," Arch Angel Mikael explained impatiently. "You may start with the Book of Revelations."

"Book of Revelations?" Joe repeated a little stupidly.

Arch Angel Mikael sighed. With an imperious gesture, two books appeared in the brothers' hands. And it was in ancient Hebrew, Joe snorted in disgust.

"There, all you need for your assignment. You will be given access to all parts of the Angel Academy Library and you know you can easily access all Earth's libraries. And oh God expect his Son Home a week before the End of Days…" And Arch Angel Mikael flew off, just like that.

"Well, guess we're in for the biggest mystery of our angelic souls…" Frank was saying a little awed and more than a little excited at the prospect of doing some heavenly detective work.

Joe groaned to Frank's surprise.

Arch Angel Mikael laughed wickedly. Frank, unlike Joe, had yet to get acclimated to Heaven's twisted logic. God already said His Son would be found a week from the End of Days. Those two would be stuck studying the Biblical texts for a long, long, time. A little boring, but safe from demons, as each brother wanted for the other…

So, beware what you asked from God in your prayers, because you might just get it.

THE END

_a/n: I wanted this to be a finishable story, so well, that might have skewed things a little. Hope you still enjoyed the last 2 chapters regardless. I still have a number of kiddy Do Angels do this or that stories and a couple of poor instinct-led Joe struggling to explain stuff to a logical Frank as his brother's official mentor. If there is interest, I might add a number of one-shots shorts to this thread. Otherwise, I am happy to say, this story is COMPLETE – even if it was 7 chapters instead of the original six. YAY. I'm going back to being sick in bed. If you're nice, a simple prayer for quick recovery would be lovely. I've been sick getting one virus after another since the week before my birthday, which is early Oct - i really want to get well again so i can finaly have my birthday dinner... _


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